The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has dismissed the possibility of Senator Ajibola Basiru, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winning the state's 2026 governorship election, describing him as 'unelectable' and lacking the necessary popularity to defeat incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke.

In a statement released by the party's Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji, the PDP advised Basiru to focus on securing his party's nomination before contemplating a challenge against Governor Adeleke at the polls.

The statement came in response to earlier remarks from Basiru's campaign team, which had urged Adeleke to prepare for defeat in the upcoming gubernatorial contest.

Bamiji highlighted Basiru's failure to secure re-election to the Senate in 2023 as evidence of his diminishing political relevance. "I hope Senator Ajibola Basiru and his subjects understand that political ambition is not just by mouth or by speaking grammar around," Bamiji stated.

The PDP spokesman further argued that if Basiru had performed effectively during his tenure in the Senate, he would not have faced such overwhelming rejection from his constituents in the Osun Central Senatorial District.

"Maybe by the time God will want to make it so easy for PDP to win the 2026 governorship election again, Basiru will be put forward as APC candidate," Bamiji remarked, suggesting that the APC would be doing Adeleke a favor by nominating Basiru, whom he characterized as incapable of mounting a serious challenge.

Basiru's campaign team had previously issued a statement commemorating Governor Adeleke's 65th birthday, expressing respect for the governor while signaling their intention to contest against him in the next election. The statement, signed by Prof. Aderemi Ajala, acknowledged Adeleke's previous victory but criticized his administration for alleged underperformance across key sectors of the state's economy.

"The politics we are all involved in is because of the betterment of our state," the statement read, adding that their candidate's ambition was driven by concern for governance.

Basiru's team pointed to alleged failures in agriculture, education, and health sectors, asserting that the governor's frequent absence from the state had impeded development. They also challenged the state government to account for its management of state funds over the past 30 months.

It is worth noting that Senator Basiru, who is pursuing the APC gubernatorial ticket, recently publicly opposed the idea of zoning the party's nomination to the Osun West Senatorial District, further intensifying the political discourse ahead of the 2026 election.